THE Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) and Business Travel Market (BTM) have announced an official partnership for this year’s event at ExCel from 22nd – 23rd June 2011.

Now in its third year BTM has become the leading event where European business travel buyers have the opportunity to meet, on a selective basis, business travel suppliers, for one to one business meetings.

Increasing numbers of GTMC members have chosen to support BTM independently, either through exhibiting or sponsorship. Carlson Wagonlit Travel, for example, has returned for the third consecutive year as sponsor of the official BTM Party and previous exhibitor FCm Travel Solutions will be sponsoring the Cafe for the first time.

GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey said: “The synergy between GTMC and BTM is apparent and it made sense to formalise a partnership.  Our members will receive added value from the agreement, with the GTMC visible to the 500 BTM VIP hosted buyers from all over Europe, at a very opportune time – just before the RFP season! “

BTM’s event director Paul Robin said: “The GTMC has shown impressive healthy growth of both members and partners in the past year and it’s good to see many of them now participating at BTM. I warmly welcome the GTMC endorsement of BTM as an event of importance to their members.  The GTMC has been very vocal on industry issues and in their lobbying and I look forward to its contribution to the conference sessions.”